Sealing method and structure of heat pipe

ABSTRACT

A method of forming a sealing structure at an open end of a heat pipe includes shrinking the open end to form a shrunk end with a cone-shaped portion, pressing the shrunk end to form a pinched portion so that the shrunk end and regions adjacent to the cone-shaped portion are deformed exceedingly outer than a circumference of the heat pipe, soldering an edge of the shrunk end, and modifying the shrunk end and the regions without any deformation exceeded outer than an original annular size of heat pipe. As such, the sealing structure includes a pinched portion with internal surfaces closely contacted, and at least two edges formed on the pinched portion to be flatly and smoothly extended from an end of the heat pipe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sealing method and structure of a heat pipe, and more particular, to a method and a structure which seals one open end of a heat pipe without performing shrinkage process thereof, so that the sealed open end can still assemble with heat-dissipation fins.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional sealing structure of a heat pipe 1 a is performed by shrinking the open end portion of the heat pipe 10 a into a shrunk end portion 100 a, and a sealing module is used to clamp the terminus of the shrunk end portion 100 a, such that a flattened region 101 a is formed. The edge of the flattened region 101 a is then soldered to ensure an airtight sealing effect.

However, the objective for shrinking the end portion 10 a into the shrunk end portion 100 a is to decrease the volume and area of the sealing structure, such that it is advantageous for the subsequent soldering process. However, the shape of the shrunk end portion 10 a will make the heat pipe 1 a with one open end useless to connect the heat-dissipation fins. Therefore, the shrunk end portion 10 a has to protrude out of fins and occupy space.

To resolve the problems caused by the conventional heat pipe structure as described above, the Applicant, with many years of experience in this field, has developed a sealing method and structure of heat pipe as described as follows.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a sealing method and structure of a heat pipe to resolve the problems of the conventional sealing structure, so that the sealed open end of the heat pipe can still connect with heat-dissipation fins. As a result, the heat pipe can be assembled with more heat-dissipation fins to prevent conventional useless shrunk end portion protruding therefrom.

The method of forming a sealing structure at an open end of a heat pipe includes shrinking the open end to form a shrunk end with a cone-shaped portion, pressing the shrunk end to form a pinched portion so that the shrunk end and regions adjacent to the cone-shaped portion are deformed exceedingly outer than a circumference of the heat pipe, soldering an edge of the shrunk end, and modifying the shrunk end and the regions without any deformation exceeded outer than an original annular size of heat pipe.

The sealing structure of a heat pipe includes a pinched portion with internal surfaces closely contacted, and at least two edges formed on the pinched portion to be flatly and smoothly extended from an end of the heat pipe.

These and other objectives of the present invention will become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These, as well as other features of the present invention, will become apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a conventional shrinkage-sealing heat pipe;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a heat pipe having a sealing structure provided by the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the heat pipe before sealing;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the heat pipe performing sealing process by a press module;

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the heat pipe after a pinched portion is formed;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the heat pipe with the pinched portion;

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the heat pipe with a soldered portion on the pinched portion;

FIG. 8 shows a top view of the heat pipe put within a former module; and

FIG. 9 shows the heat pipe of the present assembled with heat-dissipation fins.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

Referring to FIG. 2, a perspective view of a sealing structure provided by the present invention is illustrated. The sealing structure is formed on one open end of the heat pipe 1 so that the heat pipe is airtightly sealed, and the working fluid can properly perform phase transition, allowing a normal operation of the heat pipe. Meanwhile, the sealed open end 10 is still useful for connecting with the heat-dissipation fins 4 (as shown in FIG. 9).

To prepare the sealing structure, the open end of the heat pipe 1 is processed as follows.

As shown in FIG. 3, firstly, a tubular member 10 of the heat pipe 1 is performed by shrinking the open end into a shrunk end 11 with a cone-shaped portion 110. The height of the cone-shaped portion 110 should be as smaller as possible no matter whether after the shrunk end 11 is pinching at next process described below, the tubular member 10 will be distorted or not.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the shrunk end 11 of the heat pipe 1 is disposed in a press module 2 to pinch on the cone-shaped portion 110 of the shrunk end 11 so that a pinched portion 111 with internal surfaces closely contacted is formed on the shrunk end 11. Furthermore, a deformation portion of the shrunk end 11 is exceeding outer than the circumference of the tubular member 10. Meanwhile, the regions adjacent to the cone-shaped portion 110 are also deformed to have a swelling structure as shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 7, a soldering process is performed at the edge of the shrunk end 11 such that a soldered portion 112 is formed above the pinched portion 111.

As shown in FIG. 8, a former module 3 includes a plurality of concave blocks 30, 31 is used. The concave blocks 30, 31 are moved towards to each other to fit an original outer shape of the tubular member 10 of the heat pipe 1. That is, the deformation of the shrunk end 11, such as the pinched portion and the tubular member 10, such as the swelling regions can be modified by the former module 3 without any deformation exceeded outer than an original annular size of the tubular member 10. The most important thing is that the concave blocks 30, 31 of the former module 3 will form two curve edges 113 of the pinched portion 111 to flatly and smoothly extended from the tubular member 10. In this preferred embodiment, the cylindrical tubular member 10 has a circular cross section so that when the concave blocks 30, 31 are put together, a circle sized with the tubular member 10 is formed to modify especially the deformation of the shrunk end 11.

Accordingly, a sealing structure of the present invention can be obtained for use to connect with the heat-dissipation fins as shown in FIG. 9. Since the edges 113 have the same curve smoothly extending from the tubular member 10, more heat-dissipation fins 4 can be continuously connected to the heat pipe 1 in the elongate direction, even on the sealing end the edges 113 can provide connection to a through hole 40 of the heat-dissipation fin 4. As a result, the heat pipe 1 can be assembled with more heat-dissipation fins to prevent conventional useless shrunk end portion protruding therefrom.

Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the press module 2 includes two opposite blocks to press on the cone-shaped portion 110 of the shrunk end 11, and results in a line-shaped pinched portion 111 and only two curve edges on the sides. However, if the press module 2 includes three or more blocks to press on the cone-shaped portion 110, more than two edges will be formed to provide more reliable connection with the heat-dissipation fins 4 at the through hole 40.

This disclosure provides exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The scope of this disclosure is not limited by these exemplary embodiments. Numerous variations, whether explicitly provided for by the specification or implied by the specification, such as variations in shape, structure, dimension, type of material or manufacturing process may be implemented by one of skill in the art in view of this disclosure. 

1. A method of forming a sealing structure at an open end of a heat pipe, comprising: shrinking the open end to form a shrunk end with a cone-shaped portion; pressing the shrunk end to form a pinched portion so that the shrunk end and regions adjacent to the cone-shaped portion are deformed exceedingly outer than a circumference of the heat pipe; soldering an edge of the shrunk end; and modifying the shrunk end and the regions without any deformation exceeded outer than an original annular size of heat pipe.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat pipe is a cylindrical tube with a circular cross section.
 3. A sealing structure of a heat pipe, the sealing structure comprising: a pinched portion with internal surfaces closely contacted; and at least two edges formed on the pinched portion to be flatly and smoothly extended from an end of the heat pipe.
 4. The sealing structure of claim 3, further comprising a soldering portion formed on the pinched portion.
 5. The sealing structure of claim 3, wherein the pinched portion is formed in a line-shaped and the edges are formed on two opposite sides thereof. 